The palace, built in a French Baroque style, sits on approximately 25 acres of prime oceanfront property that is beautifully landscaped with gardens, ponds and ornate gates. We were forbidden to take pictures inside the palace so unfortunately we won’t be able to share with you some of the exciting sights inside this massive structure that was home to six sultans during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The highlight of the tour was the Ceremonial Hall. The room has a very tall beautifully decorated ceiling supported by massive columns. In the center of the room hung a 9,000 pound crystal chandelier (the largest of it’s type) that was a gift from Queen Victoria of England. The chandelier can only be turned on by prime ministers or presidents who enter the room. The one exception was Sean Connery, who was given the great honor of flicking the light switch due to the fact that he is considered royalty in England after being appointed a “sir.”
After our tour of the palace we ventured out to find a pastry shop that we were told was a short distance from the palace and known for the best Baklavah in town. I guess in Turkey “short” is relative because we were speed walking (due to our time constraint) and it took us much longer than we were led to believe. Regardless, we were happy to have the exercise because if the taste of these treats were any indication of how unhealthy they were, we would have had to walk a few miles to burn off the two little pieces we each devoured.
After our treats we hastily continued our walk across the river and back to the Grand Bazaar that we visited two days prior. This time we were on a mission to get Sam an Istanbul t-shirt. Our brisk stroll brought us through the Spice Bazaar and other local markets where we were the only tourists and stood out like sore thumbs. The spice market was a happening place and was a little reminiscent of the New York Stock Exchange with people screaming at one another and pointing fingers trying to make sales.
The shirts were finally located and bartered down to a reasonable price before heading back to our hostel to pick-up our backpacks, say farewell to our kind hostel hosts, and scurry on to the airport via the metro. Our flight was quite pleasant, leaving early and only lasting slightly over an hour. Upon arrival our chauffer was there to greet us and drive us to our hotel an hour away.
The hotel was even nicer than we anticipated. Our room is built into a lava rock cave and the views surrounding the property are breathtaking. The manger of the hotel gave us a warm welcome and was quick to help us plan our time in Cappadocia. We have some exciting events planned for the coming days that we are eager to experience and share with you soon.
Lounging about the hotel terrace and sipping on some beers while exchanging stories with fellow travelers consumed the remainder of our late afternoon and early evening. We then went out for a nice traditional meal consisting of vegetables and chicken cooked in a pot that they broke at the table. The views of the sunset at dinner were quite appetizing to the eye and suitably capped off our first evening in Cappadocia.
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